The invention relates to conduit connectors, and more particularly to universal conduit connectors which permit a single sized hose to be connected to a plurality of different sized pipe cup nuts and washers to provide for universal connectability, where the hose is preferably flexible.
In the residential and commercial fields, there are many applications for flexible hose with connectors at two ends utilized to connect, for example, a water pipe to a faucet, toilet, water purifier, etc. where the distance between the water pipe and the device being connected to varies, and where the fittings for the water pipe and the water or fluid connected device can widely vary. As a result, traditional flexible connector hoses must be provided in a variety of lengths and with a variety of different connectors at their ends. For retailers and large users of such flexible hoses (e.g., plumbers), this poses a problem because there needs to be a relatively large number of different lengths and hoses with a variety of different connectors on their two ends maintained in stock. The large number of permutations of lengths and combinations of connector ends is problematic for home users because they must find hoses not only with the correct length but also must determine which is the appropriate connector end taking into consideration the pipe diameter and thread style including course thread, fine thread, compression fitting and the like.
Prior attempts to solve this problem have included providing flexible hoses with large diameter connectors having a predetermined thread design and having screw-in adapters that are screwed to the connector ends which are adapted to fit onto the desired water pipe or water utilizing device connector. These adapters, however, create more interface areas between the connector and the water and water utilizing device, and therefore create the potential for additional areas of leakage.
There accordingly remains a need for a universal conduit connector.
The universal conduit connector of the invention addresses shortcomings of prior art conduit connectors by providing hoses with intermediate flex lines and universal connectors at least one end, the connectors having a stem with a barbed tip, a nut sized to be slipped over the barbed tip stem, and a sealing washer. By providing nuts and matching sealing washers in a variety of thread sizes and shapes, it is possible to use the universal connector to connect together any number of pipes and pipe nipples (e.g. a water pipe and a toilet, sink, ice maker, and the like).
These and other objects of the invention are met by providing retailers with a range of lengths of the hoses, and sets of nuts and washers, thereby permitting consumers and other users to choose the correct length hose and select from a relatively small number of required nuts and washers (e.g. xe2x85x9cxe2x80x3 compression, xc2xdxe2x80x3 compression and xc2xdxe2x80x3 IP).